Timber Framing

[tblough]

Hows China, Tom? Are you completely fluent by now?

MB, China's a very interesting place with a very difficult language. I can speak enough to get around in a taxi, but I'll never be fluent. My brain is just not wired for languages.

I'll second Woodworkingboy's opinion on the craftsmanship in the temples and pagodas here. I watched them rebuild the Jing An temple in Shanghai in preparation for Expo 2010 (the World's Fair) and it was amazing. They completely disassembled it, refurbished/replaced/refinished all the pieces and reassembled it. It was worth the price of admission each week just to see how all the pieces went together. These temples put "Lincoln Logs" to shame!

 

[woodworkingboy]

The quakes happen quite frequently around the country or off the coast, of small magnitude for the most part. Frequently while watching TV, a quake announcement goes across the screen about some area, often with an addition about tidal wave concerns. Although there are faults in my vicinity, this area hasn't moved much over the last number of years. A little north of me had a bad one about two years ago, damage and death resulting.
Old houses have heavy tile roofs, so when they collapse, people inside can really suffer. Personally, I've never been through a large shaker myself, a bunch of small ones though.

They say a big one will hit Tokyo. With all the old structures, trains, subways, and people, the results would likely be horrific.

The upside is all the nice hotsprings we have.

 

[brendonv]

I got my book today.

Going to start reading on the way to New York tomorrow. Called my sawmill guy for some wood too, just waiting for a call back. Might check out a flea market sunday morning too...see if I can score some misc chisels, squares, axes, measuring tools.

Just gotta clean out some space in my shed for the timbers.

Very excited.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Sounds cool....have you ever chopped a mortise wtih a hammer and chisel?

 

[brendonv]

Hmmm, kinda sorta. We built this cool arbor out of timbers for a customer. Had to do some chiseling and such. Never did get a finished pic.

It's all new to me though.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Nice. Whoever invented the square should be up there with the other brilliant minds in remembered history. You'll also be wanting a marking gauge that scribes incised lines.

I have two squares that I use very regularly, one a small Starrett (great tool company making precise things), I never dropped it in ten years of almost daily use. My farmer neighbor comes into my shop one day, picks it up off the bench, and immediately dropped it on the concrete. I was speechless, but the thought occurred to push the old fart through the bandsaw.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Waycool.

 

[brendonv]

Just lost an ebay auction for two chisels made in my home town back in the day.

Lost by a $1.

 

[darkstar]

E bay is just lost by a buck city .
By the time you ever buy anything you could have made twice the money just doing some work.
But good luck ever now and again e bay is great.

Man i think you would be able to find some awesome tools there but always go for the buy it now or no auction deals.
You got serious projects which dont need you sitting front of e spray.
( :

 

[brendonv]

Hit the flea market this morning. Couldn't beleive all the good stuff there, if I stayed I coulda spent a fortune.

Ended up with these things below. 3/4" corner chisel, 1" corner chisel, 2" framing chisel, 1 3/4" framing chisel, and 3 hand t-augers.

I ended up $160 lighter for everything, I think I did good.

Going to the farm at 1:00 to get some timbers.

 

[brendonv]

Wow, I just looked at some tools that this guy on forestry forum sells.

Looks like if I bought from him it'd be 4x!

 

[Dave Shepard]

Yup, that is retail. You did good! One point to consider, is that all of Jim's tools are sharpened. You will need to get an edge on those chisels to use them effectively. You should be able to literally shave with them when you are done. Is there more stuff like this in your area? I might have to come visit with about $500 cash. I'd be stocked for life.

 

[brendonv]

Dave,

There was quite a bit at the show, lots of t-augers and planes. I had to look for the chisels. One guy had a box full in his truck, he saw me carrying the t-augers and he asked. He can get lots he said, and boring machines. I was tempted to buy his whole box. A friend of ours does wood turning, so I'm going to see if he can put an edge on them for me. Don't tell too many about CT's flea markets, I want them all to myself .

Some of my chisels are Ohio Tool, an Pexto to name a couple.

 

[Dave Shepard]

Googling Seymour CT, be right back.


















Those old chisels usually have some great steel in them, as long as nobody has overheated them by grinding. You could probably resell some of those tools, my local old tool guy gets $50-90 for chisels, and Jim gets around $100 for good ones. New Woodcraft and Barr Quartons are around $120. Keep an eye out for a slick. You can get by with your 2" for most paring, but eventually you will want the slick. I like a 3" to 3 1/2". 4" is too big for most paring. Framing chisels should be no bigger than the size of the mortise, actually, they can't be. You can use an undersize chisel, but it will mean more work. I've seen 2 1/8" framers, which doesn't make any sense. I'd have them ground by a machinest to exactly 2". Can't wait to see your frame coming together! What are the dimensions?

 

[brendonv]

Haha, your funny.

I just picked up some 8x8's x 8-9'. My plan was for a 8x12 shed, but I'll have to think of something to make do with what I have. Maybe I'll do a small 8x8, 8x6 for garden tools or something. Might end up giving it to my bro in the end anyways, long as it comes out good, or it'll be doomed for firewood.

 

[Dave Shepard]

Cool. Do you have any 6x6? You could build a set of saw ponies to put your 8x8s on. I started a set, but haven't finished yet, I've been concentrating on the shed frame for now. There is a thread of to on the FF about saw ponies. They are a good way to get introduced to timber framing. Small pieces that don't hurt as bad when you mess up. I started an end sill about a month ago and screwed up a saw cut. It was a combination of bad layout and bad light. Since the timber was toast, I kept laying out and cutting the saw cuts until I could reliably make the cut. Had a few cookies on the floor, but the practice was worth it.

 

[Dave Shepard]

How are those chisels coming along? Shaving sharp yet?

 

[brendonv]

I've yet to do a damned thing with them...

 

[Dave Shepard]

I haven't done much on my frame since this thread started either. Too dang busy. I'm off the week after next to Heartwood for two weeks of cruck and scribe rule framing, however. Can't wait!

 

[woodworkingboy]

I'm a member of a woodworking forum, where some people were asking how to keep their tools from rusting. I suggested that they might start using them.
What a brain, ay.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I think it's funny...

 

[MasterBlaster]

Me too!

 

[Dave Shepard]

Cruck framing. A picture of a cruck pair being laid out. I've got some more pics in the camera, and will have more as the frame continues.

 

[Dave Shepard]

Finished medieval cruck frame.

 

[brendonv]

Wow, thats awesome.